Held on ‘Drive It Day’, the April Scramble is historically the busiest of the year at Bicester Heritage. Club Lotus are attending - book your tickets with our special club discount code - please contact Club HQ on 01362 691144 / 694459 or email annemarie@clublotus.co.uk or jane@clublotus.co.uk for the code. (Click Read more for all the information)

The timetable for the 2019 Donington Historic Festival has been announced, and it's definitely action-packed! New grids join the line-up this year and we see the return of an old favourite, the HGPCA Grand Prix cars. (Click Read more for the timetable)

Marking its 70th anniversary, Lotus held a spectacular event to commemorate the significant milestone of founder Colin Chapman’s first Lotus, built in 1948.
The home of Lotus in Hethel hosted 8,000 Lotus owners and enthusiasts from all over the world, as well as 1,600 Lotus cars of all eras. From the Team Lotus F1 race cars to the rally Sunbeam Lotus, Lotus Cortina all the way to the present line-up of Evora, Exige and Elise, there were Lotus road and competition cars of all ages present.
Group Lotus Plc’s CEO Mr. Feng Qingfeng presented the company’s vision to the crowds present and viewers online. As well as leading the anniversary track procession, he also personally revealed two bespoke Lotus Exclusive Evora GT410s, both in heritage livery.Speaking at the event, Group Lotus Plc’s CEO, Mr. Feng Qingfeng said: “Today has been an amazing day of celebration. To have met so many Lotus owners and enthusiasts, and understand their passion for our brand is truly inspiring. We are committed to our home in Norfolk, and there’s no place better to gather and remember what Lotus stands for and what makes it so special as a leading automotive marque. To have so many of our cars return home has really made the day, and I’d like to thank everyone for their help and
support, both now and in the future, as we grow and develop the business.”

As the company prepares for the culmination of its 70th celebrations, Lotus has unveiled the latest stage in its investment plan, which will see the 100 acre site undergo extensive development and renovation work.
With a new Customer Experience Centre, Heritage Centre and Museum designed by architects Feilden+Mawson and submitted for planning, the British marque has outlined a bold vision for its future at the famous Hethel facility, its home for over 50 years. The plans were unveiled just ahead of the company’s 70th celebrations in Norfolk, marking the anniversary of the founding of Lotus by engineering genius Colin Chapman.

Calling on enthusiasts, collectors and car hunters worldwide, Lotus needs your help in tracking down the long-lost Lotus Mark I, the first car built by company founder Colin Chapman.
As the British marque continues its 70th celebrations, it wants fans from around the world to pick up the trail of the most elusive Lotus ever – the competition car that the young engineer hand-built in a small London garage owned by his then girlfriend’s parents. Overcoming the standard car’s limitation Chapman applied innovative approaches to improve its performance in challenging trials competitions.
Despite its existence being well documented, the current whereabouts of the Mark I remain a mystery. Built by Chapman, with the help of friends and his girlfriend (who later became his wife), Hazel, he entered a number of events in 1948 with immediate success. However, Colin was constantly innovating, and was soon hard at work on the Mark II. The first car was sold in November 1950 but, from there, the car’s trail goes cold. Despite much research over the years, its whereabouts have never been established.

Lotus News - LOTUS 70TH 29TH SEPTEMBER - ORDER A SIGNED COPY OF "A LIFE IN CAR DESIGN" BY OLIVER WINTERBOTTOM

An Opportunity to order a copy of the book A Life in Car DesignJaguar Lotus TVR
By Oliver Winterbottom

Signed by the author

A copy will be available to inspect at the Lotus 70 Anniversary at Hethel on the Club Lotus stand where orders will be taken.
Oliver will be in attendance during the day at the Club Lotus stand (exact attendance times will be available on the day).

The books will be mailed out and payment taken within 14 days

Oliver was with Lotus from 1971 to 1998
(with a couple of short absences & time at JCL Marine)

Group Lotus PLC is delighted to announce the appointment of Phil Popham as Senior Vice-President – Commercial Operations for Group Lotus and CEO – Lotus Sports Cars, effective from 01 October 2018. Phil will report to Group Lotus plc CEO, Mr Feng Qingfeng. Phil joins Lotus from Sunseeker International where he held the role of CEO for four years. Prior to Sunseeker, he was part of the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) executive team for 9 years with global responsibility for commercial operations.

The arrival of Phil Popham is the latest in a series of high level appointments at Lotus, from both the global automotive industry and from within Lotus. A new business and operating structure has been put in place and the Lotus business is now set for the next stage of its future growth and global expansion.

Mr Feng Qingfeng welcomes Phil to Lotus, “I am delighted that Phil has joined Lotus at this important time in our 70 year history. We are growing the Lotus business not only at our Headquarters in Hethel, Norfolk but also worldwide so the foundations are laid to become a globally competitive brand and a well recognised leader in the sports car market.”

Phil Popham said, “I have spent my career working with, and have a passion for famous British luxury, high tech and pioneering brands and Lotus, with its amazing history, definitely fits into that category. I am looking forward to being part of the team that will drive the substantial future growth of the Lotus business.”

Joining the celebrations for one of the world’s most iconic sports car manufacturers, the widow of company founder Colin Chapman has personally approved the 100,000th Lotus, as part of the marque’s 70th anniversary celebration.

Hand built on the same site that Hazel Chapman helped establish, the Jim Clark Trust special edition Lotus Evora GT410 Sport is the 100,000th Lotus built and a milestone in the iconic British company’s history.

Reviewing the car for the first time with her son Clive Chapman, Hazel Chapman said: “70 years ago, I never dreamt that there would be a 100,000th Lotus. I’m immensely proud of the company and Colin’s legacy. Today Lotus still builds such fantastic sports cars and I’m touched to be able to see the 100,000th car.” The Evora continues a lineage of lightweight car design that can trace its roots back to the very first Lotus - an ethos that drives the company to optimise mass and aerodynamics in order to maximise performance and handling.

Oliver Winterbottom will have a stall in the Market Place selling his book A Life in Car Design, Jaguar Lotus TVR and he will be happy to sign customers copies. Come and join the crowds enjoying over 650 Classic Cars

The competition to win the 100,000th Lotus built has been launched in aid of the Jim Clark Museum.

In a fitting tribute to one of the most successful racing drivers of all time, the Jim Clark Trust has launched a competition to win the 100,000th Lotus sports car built - a one-off Jim Clark Special Edition Lotus Evora GT410 Sport. Enter the competition now at www.jimclarklotus.com

Commissioned in honour of the 50th anniversary of 1968, this ultimate prize for enthusiasts was unveiled by the Duke of Richmond, a Patron of the Trust, with Group Lotus Chief Executive Feng Qingfeng and Trustees of the charity at the world famous Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The competition to help raise funds to support plans for a new Jim Clark Museum is now live online at www.jimclarklotus.com, offering participants the chance to win a truly landmark special edition Lotus Evora GT410 Sport. It costs just £20 to enter, with the winner to be announced at the opening of the new Jim Clark Museum in Duns, Scotland, in summer 2019.
Proudly supporting the Trust, the British sports car manufacturer Lotus has designated the Jim Clark Special Edition its 100,000th car to celebrate the motoring racing legend, and production of the unique model coincided with Lotus’ 70th anniversary celebrations at this year’s Festival of Speed.
His Grace the Duke of Richmond commented, “It’s fantastic to see the crowds here at the Festival of Speed so engaged and excited to remember Jim Clark and celebrate his achievements in our Silver Jubilee year. The stunning Jim Clark Special Edition Evora is a fitting tribute to a legendary man and his iconic Elan. Clark’s exploits on track were very special indeed and we are proud to launch this competition here at Goodwood.”
Inspired by the red Lotus Elan S2 driven by Clark in the 1960s, registration number 997 NUR, the new Evora GT410 Sport has been hand built at Lotus’ Hethel site – the home of the company for the last 50 years. Echoing the original car’s colour scheme, with red paintwork, a silver roof and silver wheels, plus tartan upholstery, it commemorates the legacy of one of motorsport’s most enduring figures. The car also carries Clark’s signature on each rear buttress.
Entrusted to the Formula 1 World Champion by Lotus founder Colin Chapman, the first production Lotus Elan S2 (type 26, Chassis 001) was Clark’s company car, and he regularly made the commute from the racing team’s then base in Cheshunt, just outside London, to his family home in Duns, in the Scottish Borders. A trip of roughly 350 miles each way, Clark clocked up around 15,500 miles in a year, leaving the car with the team when he was away racing.
Launched in Lotus’ 70th year, the stunning Evora GT410 Sport is a winning blend of raw ability and style. Drawing from its more potent stablemate, the Evora GT430, it incorporates many high-performance elements yet retains a subtler, understated profile. The Evora GT410 Sport is powered by a specially calibrated and tuned higher-output version of Lotus’ supercharged, 3.5-litre 6-cylinder engine. With an integrated water-to-air charge cooler, it produces 410 hp at 7000 rpm and 420 Nm of torque from 3500 rpm, allowing the Evora GT410 Sport to sprint from 0-60 mph in just 3.9 seconds.
Continuing a lineage of lightweight car design, that can trace its roots back to Clark’s 1960’s Elan S2 and beyond, the development of the Evora GT410 Sport allowed Lotus the opportunity to optimise mass, resulting in a lightest possible dry weight of just 1,256 kg. Standard carbon fibre composite components include the front access panel, roof panel and a one-piece louvred tailgate with integrated spoiler, as well as the elements within the front air blade system and rear wheel exit ports. In keeping with Lotus’ philosophy of maximising aerodynamics to match the car’s personality, the GT-class coupe generates up to 96kg of downforce, providing better handling and stability at high speeds.
Chair of The Jim Clark Trust Ben Smith commented, “Over the past five years we have been delighted to see the plans for a new Jim Clark Museum become a reality, and are extremely grateful for the support of Scottish Borders Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund and thousands of public donations. The build programme for the new £1.6m museum with space for two cars began in early July and is estimated to take 12 months. We are excited to announce this new fundraising competition to win the Jim Clark Special Edition Lotus Evora, which will help to realise the vision of an extension to increase the numbers of cars on display and promote heritage, education and inspiration for future generations. Best of luck to everyone who enters.”

This brilliant news only broke in mid-July and some of the details are still being formulated by Lotus. The date is Saturday September 29th and planned attractions include a selection of Classic Team Lotus cars courtesy of Clive, demonstration drives on the Hethel track and numerous side stalls for entertainment and enjoyment. The factory will be open for visitors as will the design studios and Classic Team Lotus. Club Lotus will have a stand and the new management team from Lotus will naturally be there together with many other important Lotus personalities. As more details become available we’ll post them on our website as well as in all area bulletins and we also suggest that you all keep an eye on the main Lotus website for the latest news - www.lotuscars.com

We were very shocked and greatly saddened to learn of the untimely death of Bobby Bell who founded Bell & Colvill with Martin Colvill in 1970. Bobby died on Monday 13th November in what appears to have been a tragic accident at his home in Surrey. Club Lotus sends our sincere condolences to Bobby’s widow Aline and her family as well as to Martin Colvill and all at Bell & Colvill. A full obituary will appear in Club Lotus News January 2018.

China’s largest privately-owned automotive group, Zhejiang Geely Holding, has agreed to a deal that will hand it the majority stake in Lotus.
The Chinese group – which also owns the London Taxi Company and Volvo – will also take a 49.9 per cent share in Lotus’ current parent, Malaysian company Proton. The binding heads of agreement announced on 24th May today is between Geely’s holding company and the current umbrella for Proton/Lotus, DRB-HICOM.

It's nearly that time of year again! And in true Sevens & Classics form, we are holding our bi-annual open day on Saturday 30th December, 2017. The event will commence at 10:00 am and finish somewhere around 16:00 pm. We’ll have food, drink, cars, bikes and people; what’s there not to like. We have one of the largest stock of used Caterham Sevens anywhere, classic bikes including Triumphs, Yamaha’s and Ducati’s and an assortment of classic cars including Triumph’s, Lotus, Marcos and MG’s. Why not add to the show and turn up in your pride and joy for all to enjoy? All welcome, including dogs, children and well behaved husbands! Like our Facebook page for further details.

Dear Club Lotus member,
All members are invited to come along to the Brooklands Classic Spring
Breakfast on May 21st 2017. This is your chance to meet up with
like-minded vintage and classic vehicle enthusiasts, have breakfast and
admire the cars, aircraft and motorbikes on show. The Motoring Village
will open at 9.00 am and the rest of the Museum will be open as usual
from 10.00 am. Subject to weather, The Brooklands Test Hill will be in action
after breakfast with a briefing at 10.15 am. There's more about the day
at www.brooklandsmuseum.com

Club News & Events - Invitation - 40 years of Lotus Club Holland event August 26th

All members of the Lotus Clubs in England, Belgium, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg and other countries and all Lotus owners are invited to come to the Netherlands this summer. The Lotus Club Holland celebrates her 40th anniversary on August 26. 2017 at Classic Wings & Wheels at Gilze-Rijen Airport.

Club News & Events - CLUB LOTUS NORTHERN IRISH AREA TAKE PART IN DONEGAL HILLCLIMB 2016

Hello Jane, There are a few seconds of footage of our cars within
"Donegal Hillclimb Highlights Programme 2016" as per this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w3ATAe-qxc
As Martin, the local DeLorean car owner, who was with us on our weekend
says - jump to about the 24th minute! Regards, Robin Walker

AnneMarie
My Elan S4 1968, VUW 896G was stolen from a locked garage
in Henley-on-Thames on Friday night 26th August 2016) - clearly a
targeted theft, with nothing else
removed (except a motorbike). I
would of course appreciate any leads, even on the appearance of
suspicious parts since it might be broken (I am watching eBay).
The
engine is running well, albeit a little smokey and having a tendency to
oil the plugs. Red cam cover. I can be contacted on 07768 348 342. Noel Clothier

Club News & Events - First production Lotus Elite for sale at the Silverstone Classic

The Silverstone Classic is just three weeks away and joining the Classic
Car Sale, Silverstone Auctions have announced a very special entry.
Bought new by jazz legend Chris Barber, and recently restored by Ant
Anstead and his team for Channel 4’s For the Love of Cars (due to be
screened this autumn), the 1958 Lotus Elite Series I is the very first
Elite produced as a proper production vehicle rather than a
pre-production prototype.

Dear Club Lotus Member and Esprit or Europa owner - Great News!
As
you probably know, 2016 is the 50th anniversary of the first Europa and
the 40th Anniversary of the first Esprit. We have arranged with the
organisers of the Silverstone Classic for a track parade of both models
on Sunday lunchtime at this years' event in July. The parade laps are
free but of course you'll need to buy a ticket to the Classic as the
parade will leave from our own reserved infield stand.
Full details
of how to buy tickets and our special booking code are in the January
issue of Club Lotus News. You'll need the code to get your generous club
discount and infield pass and the best 'Earlybird' prices
are available until the end of March - so if you are going it's best to book soon.
If
you've never been to the Silverstone Classic you may not know that
entry is by advance ticket only - no tickets are available on the day.
Look forward to seeing you there!
With best wishes,
Alan Morgan, Chairman

The Jim Clark Trust has been awarded official charity status to help
fund raising plans for a new Jim Clark Museum by 2018 to celebrate the
life and legacy of the double Formula One champion.
The Trust was confirmed as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated
Organisation (SCIO) to coincide with an application to The Heritage
Lottery Fund by Scottish Borders Council in November to support plans
for a £1.65m new museum project in Duns, Scottish Borders. Scottish
Borders Council has committed £600,000 to the project and hopes to
secure £700,000 from The Heritage Lottery Fund, with an additional
£300,000 through fundraising with the support of The Jim Clark Trust.
The Jim Clark Trust, run by the family of Jim Clark, will focus on three
themes: heritage, education and inspiration, and can now welcome
support from the general public and sponsorship enquiries thanks to its
official charitable status.

Lotus News - Lotus cars’ registrations in the UK are the best since 2010

Lotus new car registrations up by 60% for 2015 compared to 2014
Seven new dealers appointed in 2015
New models launched with great success including the new Evora 400, Lotus Elise Sport and Elise Sport 220 and new Lotus Exige Sport 350
In 2015, 375 Lotus cars were registered in the UK compared to 235 in
2014 - the best registration figures achieved by Lotus in the UK since
2010. Seven new Lotus dealerships were appointed in 2015 in the UK
including two showrooms in London, the first time Lotus has had a
presence in London since 2009. Lotus now has 16 dealers in the UK with
more planned over the next 12 months.
Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Group Lotus plc, stated, “These are excellent
sales results and prove definitively that Lotus is back! I would like to
thank our excellent dealer and service network in the UK and all our
staff. I would also like to thank all our customers have both passion
and desire for Lotus sports cars and know what it is like to own a pure,
lightweight and high performing sports car.”
The UK is not the only key market for Lotus to have seen an increase in
sales, with other European markets including Germany, France and Italy
also recording substantial growth in 2015. Globally, Lotus’ has
increased the number of dealerships to 202 from 138 in May 2014.

Specialist insurance broker Footman James announces a new modern car offer for club members.
Footman James is pleased to announce that it has secured a modern car ‘beat your renewal premium’ offer.
The promotion – which was launched this month – guarantees to beat club
members’ current modern car insurance renewal premium if they have an
existing classic car policy with Footman James.

Tickets are now available from Club HQ for Club Lotus members. Telephone 01362 691144 or 01362 694459 to order them now. If there is a particular stand that you want please telephone us ASAP as many of the stands sell out very quickly.

Club News & Events - THE LONDON CLASSIC CAR SHOW - 18-21 February 2016 - ExCeL London

The London Classic Car Show 2016 will bring together an international
celebration of the very best dealers, manufacturers, car clubs and
products and is nearly double the size of the 2015 event. It also
features an indoor driving runway where iconic classic cars are fired up
and driven. See, hear and smell these beautiful classics in action!